Tuesday 14 April 09. Stourport to North of Kidderminster. 5 locks.

It still has an effect of disbelief on us when we leave the confines of a Town or City, pass under one bridge or move past one more corner and there is the countryside again.
You can tell the weather is getting better! 4 boats up 2 boats down, this took all of an hour, a whole hour waiting in the sunshine and chatting to other boaters. I used to well and truly moan about getting stuck for fifteen minutes on the motorway. Times have changed...... for the better.

Absolutely rural through here with rocky outcrops along one side of the canal.

This lock is in a fantastic setting, rocks and trees overhanging really give a chocolate box or jigsaw feel to the whole place.Back in someones garden again, lots of these small plots along here and all seem to be using the

canal as an advantage rather than just shutting it out with a fence or wall.

Passing through Kidderminster we came across this bridge which helpfully was all lit up.

Handy, as at the other end was a lock that cannot be seen.

This is the view from that lock. yet again the canal system throws in a little surprise, suburban bridge opening up onto a cathedral.

No and a thousand times no, we are not mooring near it.

Go back two pictures and there really is no hint that this is here. It all changes so fast at canal level.

I'm not sure if this has come across in the picture but the canal did seem to be going down hill.

We both felt it and have taken loads of pictures. It obviously wasn't but it was one of those moments!

Another treat for the Duck watchers, there are 15 in this clutch.

Going back to an earlier post about how many eggs a Duck can lay, this is a lot of eggs.

We have seen another lot today so maybe spring has sprung at last.

Until tomorrow..............